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Each year in its annual survey, Cuvilly families are asked what they would never want to change about our preschool and that answer is always the animals.

On February 13, 14, and 15, 2019, during Cuvilly Arts & Earth Center’s Love Your Critters week, my classmates and I will be participating in the annual Hop-a-thon to help our school’s animals. Each of us will do as many hops as we can in a timed 60 seconds to raise necessary funds to care for our beloved creatures.

As you may know my preschool, located in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is farm-based and nature-based.

Cuvilly is home to many animals whom we all adore and learn from each day. Our animal pals include four dogs, two cats, two pigs, two alpacas, three horses, one pony, one donkey, four sheep, five goats, five roosters, five geese, 10 ducks and 30 chickens. Their care and upkeep requires more money than you’d imagine! Because these animals are so special to me, I want to hop as many times as I can to help support them. But I also need your help.

I'll tell you how many hops I’ve completed after the Hop-a-thon but I ask that you please consider supporting me before then with a pledge donation! Each and every dollar goes to feeding, sheltering and caring for our animal critters.

In addition to labor costs, these are the expenses to keep our Cuvilly animals housed, fed, healthy and happy:

$8,500 annually to feed our animals their specific diets

$12,740 annually for hay – their main food source and a necessary means of warmth ($7 per bale of hay and the animals use 35 bales per week)

$6,500 for the year for shavings and wood pellets to keep their living quarters clean

$3,000 for the veterinarian

$4,000+ for incidentals like the following:

$1,800 for the year such for horse and donkey hoof care

$1,500 for barn / fence / paddock repair and maintenance

$375 for sheering sheep and alpacas

$300 routine medicines

Thank you for sponsoring me and for supporting my school and its animals.

Cuvilly Critters are Critical to our Curriculum

“… Animals can help children develop sensitivity to others, they offer comfort, and they can even provide a safe sounding board for secrets and feelings that children don’t share with adults.” - Patty Born Selly

Children thrive when allowed extended periods of time in the natural world. Animals – an integral part of the natural world – positively support child development. The magical and meaningful relationship children develop with animals while in preschool is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

The Cuvilly Arts & Earth Center is a ministry of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Cuvilly is dedicated to modeling ecological sustainability through programs in education, agriculture and the arts. Cuvilly strives to create a space that respects all of creation in an ecological balance. All decisions are made with this guiding principle: All of life is sacred and the diversity of life is essential for the well-being of the planet.